Romance Raffle!
by AADale
Summary: What could go wrong when the Men's and Women's Associations raffle off dates with Iba, Iemura, Yachiru, and Nanao?  Multichapter, multiple raffles.  Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Romance Raffle!

What could go wrong when the Men's and Women's Associations raffle off dates with Iba, Iemura, Yachiru, and Nanao? (multichapter)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, and this kind of thing is exactly the reason I _shouldn't_ own it.

/

Win a Date with Lieutenant Kusajishi (11th) or Lieutenant Ise (8th) from the Women's Shinigami Association!

Win a Date with Lieutenant Iba (7th) or Third-Seat Iemura (4th) from the Men's Shinigami Association!

Buy your tickets now!

Time and location of Date to be announced

Winner plans and pays for Date (but remember, "no" means "no")

All Shinigami from Divisions 1-11 and Division 13 are invited to join in!

/

Nemu Kurotsuchi presented the monthly financial report at the Women's Shinigami Association meeting. It didn't look good. They had made ambitious plans for the coming year, but it seemed like they'd have to cancel nearly everything.

Of course, if they could raise some money quickly, they could still salvage the year. They discussed some of their recent fundraising efforts. None of them had been particularly successful. Some of the members tossed out ideas, but they were only more of the same. Then Rangiku Matsumoto said, "well, you know, we all have something that any man would pay good money for."

Everyone turned to look at her. Soi-Fon was the only one with the courage to ask, "what do you mean by that?"

Matsumoto said, "you know exactly what I mean. We could make a fortune. I mean, we don't have to go overboard, but we could have a kissing booth, or auction off an evening with some of the girls. Something like that. We've got some real cuties here. Real women would sell a lot better than trading cards."

Soi-Fon said, "I'm not sure that what you're suggesting is legal."

"OK, maybe something like a romance raffle. One date. No promises that anything would happen, but if there are sparks, who knows?"

Yachiru bubbled over with excitement. "Romance Raffle! Romance Raffle!"

Captain Unohana said, "this might be a good idea. We could each sell tickets for dates with a few of the members. We should easily be able to raise enough funds for the year."

Nanao Ise gave a disapproving look. Unohana was supposed to talk people _out_ of Matsumoto's schemes.

Yachiru shouted, "Romance Raffle! Romance Raffle!"

Soi-Fon stood up, saying, "I think it would be best if I'm not involved in this." With that, she made her way out of the room.

"OK, but if we agreed to this, who would we raffle off?" Ise asked nervously.

Matsumoto spoke. "It's only reasonable that the officers of the club do it", she said, with an innocent expression on her face.

"Yay!" shouted Yachiru.

Unohana said, "ok, that would be Yachiru and Nanao."

Ise couldn't hide her surprise. "Excuse me, Captain? Why not you? You're the Chairwoman of the Association."

"Oh, I hardly think that would be appropriate", she said, smiling serenely.

/

At Unohana's suggestion, they agreed to make this a joint fundraiser with the Men's Association. There would be four sets of tickets for sale, one for each of the officers. The women would sell tickets for dates with Nanao and Yachiru, and the men would sell tickets for Tetsuzaemon and Yasochika.

Ise and Iba hashed out the details. One rule they agreed upon: Division Twelve wasn't allowed to participate. Fundraisers were great, but there was no need for anyone to end up strapped down on a table in a Twelfth Division lab.

They approached Lieutenant Sasakibe, who was renowned for his discretion, and he agreed to oversee the lottery. He'd be in charge of the drawing itself, as well as notifying the winners and "prizes" of the time and location for their meeting. They had decided that complete confidentiality could save everyone a lot of potential embarrassment.

/

Nanao was in her room tallying the reported ticket sales. The final numbers weren't in yet, but it appeared that she'd come in…fourth.

Fourth, and it wasn't even close.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She'd always considered herself cute. Nothing spectacular, but solidly in the cute range. Maybe her look was a bit severe, but that was just professionalism and good grooming. She should probably smile more.

Fourth? She was in no mood to smile.

Maybe she shouldn't have limited Captain Kyoraku to one ticket? No, that was for the best. He would have taken it as a challenge, and spent all his money just to ensure that he won a date with his Nanao.

What Nanao didn't know was that Kenpachi put out word, in the most violent terms, that every man in Soul Society had better buy a ticket so that Yachiru would be the most popular. The disposable income of the male shinigami was all flowing in one direction. That was why the Women's Association couldn't print Yachiru tickets fast enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Renji Abarai stopped by Division Eleven. That wasn't unusual; he was a common enough sight around the division. He looked around for his best friend, and finally caught up with him on the training grounds.

"Ikkaku? Got a minute?"

The bald third-seat was awaiting his turn on the field. "Sure. What's up?"

"I need some advice. I know we're supposed to keep the whole 'Romance Raffle' thing confidential, but I just got word that I won that date with Yachiru, and it's in a couple of weeks, and I have no idea what I'm gonna do with her."

"YOU!" Out of nowhere Captain Zaraki appeared. He had an insane look in his one exposed eye. Renji knew that look. He considered his options: his bankai would only buy him a couple of seconds at best, and there were no open gates nearby. He had no way out. Whatever this was, he had to stand and face it.

"You are going on a date with Yachiru?" The Captain bellowed. _How had he overheard?_ "You filthy, perverted….What are you thinking?"

"What do you mean, what was I thinking? You threatened to kill us if we didn't buy tickets. I spent a whole night's drinking money on tickets because you told me to."

"I don't wanna hear that! I swear, if you so much as touch her…"

"Hey!" Renji was in too deep at this point. He might as well stand up for his honor. "What do you think I am?"

"I know what you are", said Kenpachi, looking as angry as he ever had. "I know exactly what you are. You're seven body parts that I'll bury in unmarked graves - arms, legs, head, torso, and the part I cut off first, if anything happens to her. You just make sure she has the best time of her life, and no funny business."

"But…I still don't know what we should do."

"Well, think hard, smart guy."

/

"Shuhei!"

Iemura leaned in the doorway of the Ninth Division headquarters and called out for his friend. It was 5:30, half an hour before the much-anticipated dates were to begin. Acting Captain Hisagi was half hidden behind a stack of paperwork that had accumulated on his desk.

"Yasochika? What's going on?"

"You've got to do me a favor. I was just called in for the night shift. I've got to report at 6:00. You need to cover on that date for me."

"What? No way. I'm working all night too. I don't have time to be out on a date!"

"Come on, you're an officer of the Men's Association too, you know."

"Don't do this to me."

"Look, we don't have any other officers, and there's no way I can make this. You've got to help me out."

"If this is a cheap trick for getting out of the date…"

"I never joke about work." It was true: Iemura hardly had a sense of humor about anything, but above all else he took his job seriously.

Hisagi sighed. "You owe me. Not just one favor, either. You're going to be paying for this forever."


	3. Chapter 3

Hisagi stood on the designated corner, one of a thousand in Seireitei. He sniffed his armpits. Not too bad, but he wished he had had time for a shower. He was going to destroy Iemura slowly if this night went badly. _This is all Iemura's fault. He did this to me on purpose, and I don't have time for this, and it's going to be awful. Jerk._

At exactly 6:00, Isane Kotetsu walked by, looking around. She smiled politely at Hisagi, who smiled back. Then he noticed she had a ticket in her hand.

_Iemura's not such a bad guy after all. _

"Excuse me, Isane? Are you looking for Yasochika?"

"Yes. I'm supposed to meet him here, for the Romance Raffle."

"Well, he got called into work. He asked me to fill in for him."

Isane looked flustered. "Did he say if it was an emergency?"

"No, he just said that he was scheduled for a shift at the last minute."

"Oh, you know, I told them to give both of us the night off. I just knew they were going to mess this up."

"Um, if you don't want to do this, I can just –"

"No. No, it's okay. This'll be nice. I just, I didn't really have anything special planned. I have an informal dinner prepared in my quarters."

"That'd be great."

Isane thought for a second, then brightened up. "You know what? If you and I are going to go out on a date, what I'd really like to do is, would you be interested in sparring?"

That caught Shusei off-guard. "Um, sure! We have a training ground at the Ninth Division that's open right now."

"OK, good. I hope this is okay with you. I just never get a chance to train with a real fighter. It's something I've always wanted to do. You don't mind?"

"Of course not." Shusei smiled. "It's your date."

/

Nanao stood at the northeast corner of the park, right where Sasakibe had told her to. She was dressed in her shinigami uniform, her hair pulled back. She was wearing her casual glasses (slightly rounder) and a little lipstick. She tried to smile, but she was grinding her teeth.

It was a busy corner. As each person walked by, she braced herself. Then she felt a spiritual pressure approaching that was unmistakable. She turned white. She looked around, and there, walking towards her across the park, was her captain. Shunsui Kyoraku had a picnic basket in one hand and a ticket in the other, and an absurdly proud smile on his face.

As he reached her, she greeted him with, "no, Captain, you promised you'd only buy one ticket!"

"I know. I did. One ticket." She looked at it and confirmed the winning number. "It makes me wonder why you try to fight it, when the universe wants the two of us together so badly."

She was stupefied. She couldn't think of anything to say. And he just stood there looking so proud of himself!

"All right," she said at last, regaining her composure. "A deal's a deal. So, tell me, what's a date like with Captain Kyoraku?"

He opened the basket and pulled out a bottle.

"It involves wine."


	4. Chapter 4

Tetsuzaemon Iba was running late. He'd lost track of time finishing the week's paperwork, and now he had to rush to the square where his date was probably already waiting for him. He wondered what he'd gotten himself into.

As he approached the meeting spot, he saw who was waiting for him, holding the winning ticket. No! It couldn't be!

"Tetsuzaemon Iba! Showing up late for a date! I thought I raised you with better manners than this."

"Ma! What are you doing here?"

"I won this date fair and square."

"But why? Why did you even buy a ticket? What are you trying to do to my reputation? If the guys ever find out about this..."

"Oh, honey, don't worry. I bought a lot of tickets, but I bought a few from every member of the Men's Association, so nobody knows about it. I had to make sure that you were the most popular boy in Soul Society."

"Okay, um, thanks, Ma, I guess. So what are we supposed to do now?"

"Oh, that's right, about the date. Someone contacted me. Very mysterious. She bought the rights to the date from me."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. She didn't say. I don't know how she even knew that I won. But she reimbursed me for all the tickets I bought. She gave me this address, and told me to tell you to meet her there in a half an hour." She handed the address to her son.

"OK. Well, I guess I have to go now, Ma."

Chikane Iba gave her son a hug.

"OK, bye, Tets! Have fun!"

/

Renji didn't know if Yachiru had any idea what a "date" was. But he was determined to make this the best night of her life. Not just because of the threat of violence, either. As necessary as it was to keep Zaraki happy, it meant even more to him that he didn't disappoint Yachiru.

This hadn't been easy to arrange – or rather, it had been easy, but costly. He was going to be doing a lot of extra work around the office in exchange for the use of his captain's private gate, and working off plenty of debt at Urahara's shop in exchange for the custom-made gigai. He was kind of proud of his plan – he never considered himself a thinker, but he didn't think that anyone in Soul Society could have handled this better. And he was actually looking forward to it!

Yachiru was excited. They met on the grounds of the Kuchiki family manor. She wasn't sure what to make of the gigai, which was much taller than she was, but Renji said it was necessary. Yachiru and Renji passed through the gate and landed in the World of the Living. It was early afternoon where they landed. They stood in a large parking lot, in front of a sign that read "Welcome to Hershey Park". That's when Renji explained to her that she needed to be tall enough to ride the rides.

"The rides?" she asked, lighting up.

"Yep. This is a theme park. Hershey is a big chocolate company, and this is their amusement park."

Her eyes grew enormous. "A theme park? About CANDY?"


	5. Chapter 5

Iba arrived at the assigned location, a dirty bar in one of the worst districts of North Rukongai. His hand instinctively drifted toward his sword as he walked in. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw there was a woman with short blonde hair at the bar, one drink in front of her and one waiting next to her. He walked toward the empty barstool.

Like any manly man, he had memorized the bodies of every woman he'd ever met, and considering how tight her dress was, it wasn't hard for him to identify the captain of the Second Division. She kept her eyes on her glass, but he could tell that she sensed his presence.

He approached the bar and took his seat. He had a feeling that this wasn't the time or place to use names. "Miss", he said.

"You're late", said Soi-Fon.

"Paperwork. I'm surprised it's you."

She sipped her drink. "Why's that?"

"I kinda thought that…it just wouldn't be you, that's all."

"Yeah. Everyone thinks they know me." From the sound of her voice, this wasn't her first drink.

"But, I mean, you were so, um, _devoted_ to your old boss, I just kinda figured…"

"Figured what?"

"I dunno."

"See, everyone thinks they have me figured out. Like someone in my job wouldn't have secrets, or wouldn't know how to keep them." She finished her drink. "But that's the problem. I don't get too many chances to really cut loose and be myself. I figured that this might be one of those times. Nobody knows us here."

"Okay, fair enough. Why me?"

"You're smart enough to keep your mouth shut. And you're always talking about how manly you are, I figured that maybe you could keep up. "

"Are you sayin I'm some kinda freak or somethin?" He downed his drink in one smooth motion. "It's okay if you are. Count me in. Whatever the play, count me in."


	6. Chapter 6

Nanao Ise and her captain walked together to a little wooded area. It wasn't far from their headquarters, but she'd never noticed the spot before. He produced from his basket two bottles of wine, some bread, cheese, and apples. They ate and drank quietly as the sun slowly descended.

"I'm afraid to ask, but what else is there to a date with you?"

"Well, now we'd usually play a game of 'Truth or Dare.'"

"I'm going to choose 'truth' every time", she said sternly.

He laughed. "You know that I'll always pick 'dare'."

"OK, then I dare you to tell me the truth. How did you get the winning ticket?"

"I bought it. One ticket, just like I promised."

"But we sold a lot of tickets. How does that just happen?"

"Truth is, I'm the best in the universe when it comes to games."

She paused, and thought about his zanpakuto's power. Yes, that probably was true.

/

They sat together and talked for hours. They answered each other's questions without holding back. They talked about the recent crisis with Aizen, about their fellow squad members, about the General, about everything. (The only subject they avoided was their own relationship, each of them sensing the danger in that topic.) They both cried when they talked about losing Lisa. She found out about his first and second wives, and the tragedies that come with living so long.

They talked a lot about Ukitake. He explained every inside joke she'd heard mentioned over the years. They talked about his declining health. Shunsui's eyes misted up when he talked about the death of Lieutenant Shiba – apparently Ukitake had been even more devastated than she realized. For her part, she passed along gossip about the Kotetsu sisters.

And how did she not know that Shunsui did impressions? She nearly wet herself at his impression of Aizen. According to Shunsui, Ukitake could do a pretty good Ichimaru, and sometimes during Captains' meetings the two of them would break into a routine about Aizen and Ichimaru running a bed-and-breakfast in Hueco Mundo that even Byakuya Kuchiki would laugh at.

They walked back to the barracks quietly in the black of night, both of them having run out of things to ask, content in their silence. Impulsively, Nanao stopped walking, looked at her captain, and said "Dare".

Shunsui stopped. "Dare?"

"Dare."

"Is that two dares?"

"One dare."

"Fair enough."

Shunsui leaned in and kissed her. Soft lips on soft lips. Moist, but not imposing. Then it was over.

That ended quicker than she expected. What did that mean? Was that the kiss of a man who wasn't really interested? She had expected more passion. Hadn't this been what he was angling for as long as she could remember? Or at least more salesmanship. It was nice, but he hadn't tried to wow her. He'd even kept his hands by his side. Then she realized: that was the kiss of a man who was convinced - completely convinced - that it wasn't their last.

Wow. She suddenly realized that she was playing a game with the best in the universe.


	7. Chapter 7

Renji thought he knew what exhaustion was. But nothing in the world, any world, had prepared him for a kid at an amusement park dosed up on chocolate.

He kept expecting her to get sick. She'd zip between candy shops and roller coasters, and sooner or later he just knew she'd be losing those snacks right on his lap, but no, she kept going. And every ride, game, or treat was greeted with a shout of "hey, Renji, look at this!"

Her greatest passion was the bumper cars. She'd swill down cotton candy and soda and jump back in line, then unleash her own terrifying brand of vigilante justice on anyone who dared to bump her. Renji bumped into her a couple of times on purpose, leading to an all-out bumper car war. They were two Eleventh Division officers fighting to the death, with bumper cars instead of swords. Grief awaited anyone caught in the middle.

Renji preferred the roller coasters. He thought about Zabimaru as he followed their twisting motions through space. There were a couple of moves that he thought he'd steal for himself. Oh, he had to be honest: he enjoyed the whole thing. Still, even though this was a temporary body, he promised himself a plate of steamed vegetables when he got home to make up for the sugary snacks he'd eaten all day.

As they walked out of the park at the end of their busy day, Yachiru hugged him and said, "Renji, you're the best date ever".

/

Shusei sat next to Isane's hospital bed with a worried look on his face. She had been stitched up, and Iemura said that she'd be fine, but the look on Iemura's face (shared by everyone else in Fourth Division) told him that he was currently the most hated man in Soul Society.

Isane finally stirred.

"You're awake."

Isane looked at Shusei. He looked mortified.

"Oh, that's so sweet that you stayed with me. What time is it?"

"It's just starting to get light outside. I still can't believe that I stabbed you."

"It's my fault. I lowered my guard. I'm not much of a fighter."

"No, you're good. You've got a lot more speed than I expected. I just thought that you were going to parry me."

"I should have known that. Wow, what did they give me? I can hardly feel anything."

"I don't know. They've been loading you up with painkillers all night. Everyone's really worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm kind of sore, but I'm really hungry. Do you know if your sword perforated my stomach?"

"Um, they said it went through your liver."

"OK, then I can eat something."

Isane sat up as Shusei went off in search of food. He came back with two bowls of rice pudding and two spoons.

"Great. Thanks", she said. "Wow, be careful what you wish for, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Waking up next to Shuhei Hisagi."

He turned red. "Maybe you shouldn't be talking right now", he said cautiously.

"You even brought me breakfast in bed, just like I always imagined. I just never pictured it here." She kept eating. "I know I'm only saying this because of the painkillers, but it's ok. I wish I spoke my mind more often. I messed up. I tried to impress you and be a fighter like all your friends, and maybe you'd notice me, and then I don't even know how to block your zanpakuto."

"Notice you?" He snorted a laugh. "Are you serious? How could I not notice you?"

He kept smiling, but his tone became more serious. "How about this, next time we go out we'll do something more romantic."

She smiled hazily. "Oh, sure, you can say that now, but that's just because I'm too drugged up to remember."

He kissed her on the forehead. "I have to go to work. I'll stop by later on, ok?"


	8. Chapter 8

A week later, Nanao Ise bumped into Shuhei Hisagi on their way into the flower shop just outside the West Gate. He held the door for her. Inside, they noticed Renji Abarai, purchasing a bouquet of roses.

"Lieutenant," she addressed Renji. "Those are lovely. Who are they for?"

"Oh, these? Um...I'd rather not say." He had a guilty look on his face.

"Don't tell me they're for Yachiru! She's just a kid, Renji!" Shuhei said.

"No, it's just..." He looked down at his feet, then nervously at Nanao. "Please don't spread this around, but I don't even remember who they're for anymore. I've had so many dates in the past week that I can't keep track of them. I had no idea that women go crazy for a guy who's good with children."

"Shuhei, you're buying flowers for Isane, I hope", said Nanao.

"Yeah."

"So, bringing them by the ward?" asked Renji, happy at the change of subject.

"Uh, actually, she got out two days ago."

"And you're still bringing her flowers", said Renji. "Nice. Way to make up for gutting her."

Now it was Shuhei's turn to change the subject. "Nanao, are you picking up flowers for anyone special?"

"They're for my captain." She blushed, then stammered, "it's one of my duties, to keep fresh flowers around the office."

Renji made his purchase and left, then Nanao made hers. On her way out, she ran into Tetsuzaemon Iba, who was standing outside.

"Lieutenant. Are you headed in?"

"I'm...not sure. I don't think I'm supposed to, but I'm just not sure."

"Well, if you're unsure, most women would appreciate a bouquet of flowers."

"Yeah, but...I just don't know." He shook his head, then spoke thoughtfully. "It's weird, I mean, you and me, we're lieutenants. We're supposed to be some of the most powerful beings in the universe, right? And here I am, after one date, I'm standin' on the street corner mumblin' to myself. Women, huh?"

"Well…men can leave you a little rattled too, sometimes", she said, subconsciously looking down at the flowers in her hand.

/

/

/

Author's Note - Well, that was supposed to be the ending, but I've gotten some really positive responses, and I know that the Men's and Women's Associations raised a lot of money, so I think there's another raffle in the works...


	9. Chapter 9

Win a Date with Captain Unohana (4th) or Lieutenant Matsumoto (9th) from the Women's Shinigami Association!

Win a Date with Captain Ukitake (13th) or Lieutenant Abarai (6th) from the Men's Shinigami Association!

Buy your tickets now!

Time and location of Date to be announced

Winner plans and pays for Date (but remember, "no" means "no")

All Shinigami from Divisions 1-11 and Division 13 are invited to join in!

/

Captain Kyoraku escorted his friend Ukitake to the Fourth Division headquarters. It was an overcast day, unseasonably cool, and Ukitake was having trouble breathing. The white-haired captain tried to brush off his wheezing spell as minor, but Kyoraku was having none of it.

The arrival of two captains caught the attention of all the Fourth Division shinigami. Immediately, Isane Kotetsu rushed over and helped him into a bed. One bed over, Captain Unohana was working on Momo Hinamori's sprained ankle.

"Ladies", Captain Kyoraku greeted the three women. "You're all looking stunning today. It fills my heart with joy to see you all."

Hinamori replied, "oh, Captain, you know that you shouldn't be flirting with Lieutenant Kotetsu anymore. She's in a relationship now."

"I hadn't heard. Who's the horribly unworthy man?"

Kotetsu blushed.

Hinamori answered, "Lieutenant Hisagi. They've become quite close."

"The man who nearly killed her? I promise you, ladies, that if his intentions are anywhere near as dishonorable as mine would be, I will banish him from Seireitei with these two hands."

Ukitake indulged in some gossip as Kotetsu prepared to treat him. "That was from the Romance Raffle, right?"

"Yes, that's right", answered Kotetsu.

"So, that's been a month now that you've been seeing each other?"

Kyoraku said, "you know, I thought that you two captains should have been raffled off as well. It only seems fair, since you're the advisors to the Men's and Women's Associations."

Unohana said, "I don't think that would be appropriate."

"I disagree", said Kyoraku.

Captain Unohana turned to the captain of the Eighth. "I don't think that would be appropriate." She gave him _the look_, the one that no one in Soul Society could stand up to.

"I disagree", said Captain Kyoraku, looking at her in an unconcerned way.

The women froze. Kyoraku was challenging Unohana! Unohana realized too late that she'd gotten into a game with Kyoraku, a game of chicken. If she continued to use _the look_, and he didn't back down, word would spread. She'd lose her iron reputation. She could sense that the two lieutenants looking on at the situation were already reconsidering their opinions of her. If she appeared to buckle, though, it would be just as bad. It was a no-win situation; better to end this quickly and pretend it never happened.

"Perhaps we should, then", she said casually.

Isane's fascination with the moment faded as her instinctive protectiveness of her captain welled up. "But we just had the last fundraiser only a month ago. Everyone's personal finances are a little low."

"Well, then", said Kyoraku, "we should wait two months, perhaps? Then we can have another Romance Raffle, with two shinigami from each association."

Unohana agreed, even as she cursed herself for getting distracted from her patients. Kyoraku could be such a jerk sometimes.

He continued. "Any idea which of the men would be popular among the ladies? Remember, I'm not a member of the group, so you'll have to choose one of the more ordinary males."

The three women huddled, and whispered heatedly.

Isane turned from the group. "Captain Kuchiki isn't a member, is he?" Ukitake shook his head no.

The women returned to their hushed debate. Finally, they separated, and Captain Unohana said, "Lieutenant Abarai seems to be quite well-received lately."

"Very well then. He'll be raffled off along with Captain Ukitake."

"And the men will inform us of their choice?"

Ukitake and Kyoraku exchanged glances. "Matsumoto", Ukitake said.

"Shouldn't you talk to the other members first?"

Kyoraku answered. "Sadly, most men are...uncomplicated. No disrespect intended to the other women of the Association – far from it – but I'm sure that Lieutenant Matsumoto would attract respectable ticket sales."


	10. Chapter 10

Renji received the news of the second Raffle rather well.

"One date, and I don't have to do any work? Fine by me."

Matsumoto accepted the news more philosophically.

"Oh, so many men will be disappointed. It's a shame there's only one of me. If I wear something really bosomy for the next few weeks, can I get 50% of the extra ticket sales?"

/

Captain Unohana realized that she was muttering to herself as she finished up her afternoon paperwork. It was rare for her to be in a bad mood, but the truth was that she had been in the dumps for a while. It started when Kyoraku challenged her, but it was more than having to back down. It was this stupid raffle.

Her ticket sales were low. She knew she wasn't going to match Lieutenant Matsumoto ticket for ticket, but the whole process made her realize that there was a part of her life that she'd shut off. As well as she got along with her fellow captains, the members of her division, the members of the Women's Association, even her patients, she knew that there was a distance between her and others. That distance went hand-in-hand with _the look_.

She was the personification of death. She had accepted that a long time ago. She was Death God Captain Number Death. She'd been alive forever, as far as anyone but General Yamamoto knew. She carried an instrument of death on her belt, and was the herald of injury and disease in this world, the world of the dead. That was the source of her ability to intimidate.

And her ability to intimidate was important to her. They were the division of healers, but they were also the maintenance division, the bottom of the social ladder. They were humble, hard workers, and there was no reason that they should be looked upon as second-class. She was proud of them. She treated them all with respect, and did everything she could to make sure that other people did so too. So she cultivated her fierce maternal image, even while realizing that it prevented others from getting too close to her. If she'd lost out on that closeness, and her reputation for strength slipped away as well, what would it all have been for?

She shook the thought out of her mind. That she, at her age, would be in a funk about whether or not boys were interested in her...ridiculous.


	11. Chapter 11

The day of the drawing arrived. As previously, the results were kept confidential. Four days later, Rangiku received a note from Lieutenant Sasakibe with the meeting time and location for the date: 7pm the next Saturday, at an address deep in the 5th district, South Rukongai. Along the bottom it read, "Wear something nice".

_Hmm. Sasakibe knows more than he's telling me. Oh, well, at least it's an excuse to go shopping._

/

Rukia stopped by the Sixth Division headquarters. After chatting briefly with her brother, she tracked down Renji, who was conducting a surprise inspection of one of the barracks. She waited until he was finished then called him over to speak privately.

"I, um, I made a mistake." Her cheeks were pink. "I bought some tickets for the Romance Raffle, and I thought they were for the date with my captain – you know, to make sure that he had respectable ticket sales – but I must have mixed something up, because I just got this message from Lieutenant Sasakibe saying that I won the date with _you_."

"Oh." He tried to sound nonchalant.

"Anyway, I know this is awkward, because we're such good friends, and I just don't want you to make a big deal out of this. I'll think of something that we can do that won't be too weird."

"OK, fair enough."

/

Renji, Yumichika, and Ikkaku were drinking together later that night.

"So she just flat-out told me that she didn't buy any tickets for me. That girl drives me insane", Renji said. He'd been bellyaching all night. He headed to the bar to buy the next round.

Yumichika said to his bald friend, "you know, that's exactly what Rukia would say ..."

"...whether she bought the tickets by accident or on purpose", answered Ikkaku. "I know. So, should we say anything?"

"No, he can figure it out himself."

"Yeah, that's gonna happen. Look out world, here comes Renji's brain! He can solve anything!" They both laughed.

/

Rukia emerged from her brother's office after a long talk. She stopped at Renji's desk. She said to the red-headed lieutenant, "You know, I was thinking about this date that you and I are supposed to have, and I had a really good idea for it."

_Me too, and with my idea we wouldn't even need to wear clothes._

"Since it's you and me, I was thinking that we could go back to the old neighborhood, and do something for them. I was thinking of doing a soup kitchen. Just one day, passing out food. It'd be a treat for them. I just talked to my brother, and he said I could use family funds for it."

Renji thought for a moment. He should have known he'd end up doing work. But it wasn't a bad idea. "You know, that'd be great."

"OK, great. I'll have to do some more planning, but we can do this on Saturday afternoon instead of the date on Saturday night." She touched his hand. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."


	12. Chapter 12

Saturday had finally arrived, and all of Rukia's plans had come together. Even the weather was cooperating. They set up their food station around noon, and the line was moving quickly. Renji was boiling the ramen at the grill while Rukia passed out the food. She looked at the line. She wasn't used to seeing the residents of Rukongai so well-behaved. She realized that this was probably the first time that the shinigami had done something decent for them other than killing Hollows. She checked out the line again, and wondered if she'd bought enough food. Things could turn ugly if they ran out of food early.

At that moment, she noticed what might be the first sign of trouble. A girl was cutting in line. Rukia recognized the girl from earlier. She shot a glance over to Renji, who followed her gaze back to the line. He left his station and went to check on the situation.

She was a young girl, by all appearances; if they had been in the World of the Living, she might be a year or two behind Ichigo's class. That didn't count for much in Soul Society. She was thin, bursting with energy. As Renji approached her, she frantically looked around for a place to hide, then slumped and fell to the ground. He hurried over and helped her up. The girl pushed her long brown hair out of her face and looked up at Renji. "I'm sorry, sir", she said. "I guess I ate too fast. I'm not feeling so well."

"So you were in line for seconds?"

"Yes", she said, embarrassed.

"Aren't you full?"

"No, I'm still really hungry."

Again, Rukia and Renji exchanged looks.

"What's your name?"

"Ai Kihara, sir."

"Well, Ai, I think you should have some more food. Why don't you go over behind the food stand and my friend can take care of you."

/

Captain Ukitake waited just outside the door of the Thirteenth Division headquarters, his assigned meeting place for his date for the evening. He was calm about the whole affair. Fortunately he'd had a few days in a row of good health. He felt a familiar spiritual pressure approaching: Captain Kyoraku, presumably here to offer words of encouragement (and embarrassment). He turned, and saw that the captain was approaching – with a ticket in his hand.

"What, you bought a ticket? Don't tell me you've given up chasing _women_."

"Well, I only bought one."

Ukitake's irritation showed. "What's that supposed to mean? I know about you and games. The number you bought doesn't matter. At least if you'd bought a bunch we could've raised more money."

"All right, this is unusual, I know. And I shouldn't have sprung this on you. But...I wanted to go have a night on the town like we used to."

"What do you mean, 'like we used to?' We did some crazy things, a long time ago."

"Yes! Exactly. Before we had any responsibilities at all."

"I don't think I _can_, not like that anyway. We were a lot younger back then. I was healthier."

"Yeah, I know, you're sick, and I'm lazy, and neither of us ever do anything. We've got to change that."

"It's a lot easier to stop being lazy than to stop being sick."

"Yeah, but you can still do more stupid things in one night than anyone else can in a year. You know, the kids today, they don't have anything to aspire to. They think if they burn down a bar, that's a wild night out. We've got to show them what it means to really hit the town. Besides, I've got the winning ticket, so it's my date."

Ukitake smiled resignedly. "I suppose I could summon the energy for one good night."

/

Captain Unohana waited at the designated location, a quiet park bench in a shaded corner of Seireitei. She had her misgivings about the Romance Raffle, but it was a peaceful and lovely evening, and she allowed herself to hope for a pleasant night out.

She looked down the footpath, and there she saw the dignified form of Captain Kuchiki, ticket in hand, approaching.

"Captain", she said, standing. "I can't say I'm surprised. I know it's supposed to be confidential, but Lieutenant Ise told me that you made a large purchase of tickets just before the end of the Raffle."

"It seemed to be the gentlemanly thing to do. I know what it feels like to be perceived as unapproachable."

They threw themselves at each other, practically shunpo'd into each other, kissing, groping, hands running through each other's hair. They toppled backwards over the bench...


	13. Chapter 13

Rukia sat at the serving table. It had been a long day. On top of all the cooking, serving, and clean-up, they'd had an improvised lesson about reiatsu and shinigami for Ai. She promised to meet with Rukia next week and have her spiritual pressure assessed.

Renji brought over two bowls of what was probably the last of the ramen. "Here ya go. It's a date now. I bought you dinner."

She took the bowl gladly. "If you remember correctly, I'm the one who paid for it."

"Che. Do you want the food or not?" Renji sat down next to her, and they both started to chow down as nightfall finally approached.

"Too bad Orihime isn't here", Renji said between mouthfuls. "She could make up a whole batch of crab snail spinach tree-bark ramen. Make everyone glad they don't have to eat."

Rukia snickered, then grew thoughtful. "Did you ever think you'd be the one making people faint?"

"It _is_ weird. That's the first time that's ever happened to me."

"Well, you're captain-level now."

"And you're a princess of a noble clan. I don't think I realized it until today, but we really did make it out of this place."

"Yeah."

He leaned over and kissed her. She was not expecting it. It didn't feel like a romantic kiss, but it definitely wasn't something the two of them did as friends. Did it mean anything? She was so distracted by analyzing it that she forgot to punch him in the mouth.

"Thank you", she said at last.

/

Rangiku Matsumoto looked fantastic in a new red dress and killer heels. She knew that she was every guy's dream – she'd been told that often enough – so it was only fair for her to be some guy's dream date for the night.

She stood at the corner waiting for her date. This was one of the better parts of Rukongai, an area she'd never explored before. It was an active, friendly neighborhood; she could faintly hear music coming from a club down the road. A few minutes late, someone finally approached her, and – wow, Ikkaku Madarame cleans up nice, she thought, in a charcoal gray suit tailored to perfection. They looked at each other with obvious approval.

"Hey, I'm here for my audition", Ikkaku said.

"Audition?"

"Sure. Every guy who bought a ticket wanted to audition to be your boyfriend. I'm just gonna be up-front about it."

She laughed comfortably. "Fair enough. Let's see what you've got."

They began to walk toward the music club.

"Is that where we're headed? I've never heard this kind of music before."

"It's big band music."

"It sounds big."

"That's the name of the style. 'Big band'."

They entered the club, which Ikkaku informed her was "the best Western dance hall in Rukongai". It was a beautiful old hall made of elegant dark wood, the entire space one big dance floor, packed with people, a band on the stage at the opposite end. And the dancing was amazing: the spinning, the acrobatics, the raw energy was like nothing Rangiku had ever seen before. She realized that her heels weren't going to work, but she noticed that quite a few women were dancing barefooted.

People came over to greet Ikkaku and introduce themselves to Rangiku. He was clearly a regular around here. The bald fighter and the stunning beauty had caught the eye of everyone in the hall. Ikkaku showed her enough steps to get by – she picked them up quickly – and they took to the dance floor as the band began a new song.

He was amazingly agile. He was definitely showing off for her, but his moves were as good as anyone else in the room, and if anything he was more graceful. It was all she could do to keep up with him and keep her head from spinning. The music was bouncing, the liquor was flowing, and the two shinigami were the center of everyone's attention.

/

The Hive was the seediest bar close to Seireitei. It was a dark and dangerous place, all flickering lamp-light and noise. Along with the regular customers, some of whom never seemed to go home, the bar was packed with Eleventh Division officers on Saturday nights. Tonight, Captain Zaraki himself was leading the drinking crowd over in the Eleventh Division corner.

Nobody noticed the bouncer getting into a scuffle with someone at the front door. That was a common-enough occurrence. Suddenly, there was a kido blast, and everyone turned to watch as the bouncer flew backward halfway across the barroom. The room quieted. As the smoke cleared, they saw Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyoraku standing behind him. The white-haired captain shouted, "every one of you is going to sleep with me, fight me, or buy me a drink. I want to see three lines, NOW!"


	14. Chapter 14

The first slow dance of the evening gave Ikkaku and Rangiku a chance to talk.

"You're really good", she said, as she caught her breath. "I'm not just saying that."

"Thanks. It's great exercise."

"You don't get enough exercise in the Eleventh Division?"

"I don't know, this is different. I'll never be the strongest shinigami as long as Kenpachi's around, and I'm definitely not the fastest, but maybe I can be the most graceful. It gives me an edge."

"Yeah, but this isn't like fighting. It's similar, I guess, but…"

"It's the rock and the stream."

"Huh?"

"When you're fighting, the whole point is to put as much force as possible into the point of impact. It's about being as solid as possible. With dancing, it's the opposite; you're trying to flow around each other like liquid."

"Hmm. So, how did you find this place, anyway?"

"Sasakibe told me about it. He heard that I like dancing, and he knows every Western-style place in Soul Society."

"You and Sasakibe hang out and chat?"

"Nah, not much. But I do a lot of the office work around the Eleventh, and I've gotten to know him a little."

"Well, everyone here seems to know you."

"Not everyone. The Saturday crowd is different. A lot of people are here just to have fun. Tuesday night it's only the serious dancers. The dress code is more casual. And speaking of the dress code, you look great tonight."

"I really do. I'm surprised my boobs haven't come flying out of this thing. You look good too. I would never have pictured you in a suit."

"Thanks. Yumichika loves to dress me up for Saturdays."

"So, Yumichika…is he gay?"

"You know, I used to wonder about that. But I've got no idea. I think he just hasn't found anyone pretty enough for him."

"He's an odd fit for the Eleventh Division."

"Nah, he fits in fine. You and Ichimaru, that was an odd match."

No one mentioned Gin Ichimaru around Rangiku anymore. Ikkuku brought him up without the slightest hesitation. At that moment, she decided that she liked him.

/

Kyoraku and Ukitake weaved their way down the street.

"You know, you're drunk", said Ukitake. "Nanao is going to kill you."

"Nah. She and I are doing great. See, I had it all planned out. It was going to take me 74 more years to win her heart, but after that date of ours it's down to 50. I'm way ahead of the game."

"Yeah, until tonight. If we get in any more trouble tonight you're gonna lose some ground."

"Don't worry. She's gonna be fine with all this. She knows I'm doing this just to shake you up a little. You've been so mopey lately."

"It's not mopey. It's called tuberculol-o-osis", he said. "You just don't get that, do you? It's not something you can _win_ at." Ukitake realized he'd brought down the mood more than he meant to. "So, where we headed to, anyway?"

"Tonight," said Shunsui, with a grand gesture, "we're headed _everywhere_."

/

"Quiet! I hear someone", whispered Captain Kuchiki. He peered out through the slats of the park bench. The moon was behind a cloud, the light too faint to make out details, so he read the spiritual pressure.

"Who is it?"

"I can't tell. One shinigami, a guard maybe. Come on, we can flash-step out of here."

The guard walked closer.

"No, I can handle this", said Unohana.

She adjusted her robes and stood up. "You there," she called out, "who are you?"

"I'm Eight-Seat Ono of the Stealth Squad", he said, his hand on his zanpakuto. "Who are _you_?"

She declared, "I am Retsu Unohana, Captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13. What are you doing here?"

"Ma'am! Nothing, ma'am. I was just investigating a noise…"

"Then there is no problem here. Will you be reporting this incident?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"No."

"No, ma'am! I will definitely not be reporting this. There was nothing of note to report!" Ono hurried away.

Unohana smiled to herself as she watched him depart, her confidence fully restored.

/

Matsumoto was giddy. She'd had a great night. She had sort of expected that she'd have to be "on" all night, that she'd be the one impressing her date. She hadn't expected to be able to relax and have fun.

Ikkaku had walked her back to the Tenth Division barracks, and now they stood at the door of her quarters. He'd been a gentleman all night, or at least he'd acted like one, but there was always a decidedly ungentlemanly glint in his eye. It was an odd combination, the clean behavior and the dirty intention. It was…well, it was honest. She thought about it and realized that he hadn't lied to her all night. Maybe that was part of being in the Eleventh Division, where everyone is direct and to the point. She'd never been involved with someone who was completely himself. She liked the idea of it.

"So, see ya Tuesday?"

"What makes you think I'll be going back there?"

"I can read people." He grinned. "You're hooked."

"I don't know. Maybe dancing just isn't my thing."

"Come on, admit it, you had a great time."

"Maybe I just liked the company", she said, and gave him a good-night kiss he'd never forget.


	15. Chapter 15

Ukitake's brain hurt. It might not be right to call it "his" brain anymore, not after the way he'd treated it last night. He ignored all of its advice and poisoned it with alcohol. From the feel of it, it was trying to crawl out of his skull in protest.

The sunlight burned his eyes. Then he realized that his eyes were still closed. _This is going to be bad_, he thought, and opened his lids. Ohhhh, so much worse than he expected.

He was in the Eighth Division headquarters, in Kyoraku's office. He was lying on the floor. Kyoraku was passed out face-down on his desk. Lieutenant Ise sat at her desk, efficiently completing the morning's paperwork, ignoring the two virtual corpses in her office. He tried to stand up, and as he did, he felt a distinct sensation: he didn't know whose undergarments he was wearing, but they weren't his. He had a vague memory of Kukaku Shiba...

Ise glanced over, a calm look on her face. "You shouldn't move. I contacted Captain Unohana. She has you booked for the rest of the morning. After that, you're supposed to report to the Second Division."

"How's Shunsui?"

"Still asleep. I booked him for the Second Division in the morning, Fourth in the afternoon."

"Fourth Division? What happened to him?"

"Thumbs." He looked at the captain's body, and the one hand he could see was, in fact, missing its thumb. "Some geisha anonymously dropped off his thumbs at the Fourth Division headquarters this morning."

"Can they reattach them?"

"Apparently. Captain Unohana tells me that the alcohol in his system is acting like a preservative. She says that she has no idea why he's still alive, but she should be able to sew his thumbs back on any time in the next week."

"Weird. I swear we won a pool tournament after we left the geisha bar."

"Well, the two of you are lucky. Captains Unohana and Soifon are both in very good moods. It's odd, really. I heard Captain Soifon whistling while I was making the arrangements."

/

"Good morning, Captain", Renji greeted Kuchiki.

"Lieutenant."

"Something's different. Are – you're not wearing your hair clip."

"I misplaced it."

"Isn't it a family heirloom? You should retrace your steps, go back to where you might have lost it."

"I plan to", Kuchiki said, with what almost looked like a smirk.

"Well, you should hurry. We could get a squad together to assist you. What were you doing when you last saw it?"

Kuchiki paused, reflectively. "Renji?"

He was surprised by the use of his first name. "Yes, sir?"

"Just…for once in your life, shut up."

/

A/N - One mini-arc to go!


	16. Chapter 16

General Yamamoto had the nagging feeling that something was going on that he didn't know about. The behavior at today's Captains' Meeting didn't make any sense to him. The captains had all made their reports without outbursts. Kurotsuchi had tried to goad Kuchiki into an argument, but Kuchiki didn't take the bait. Even Soifon's weekly condemnation of the Eleventh Division's antics had seemed like a formality. Everyone was being _nice_.

They had reached the final item on the agenda, a bit of news that Yamamoto was pleased to share.

"Lastly, before we go, Lieutenant Hisagi has informed us that he has attained bankai."

"Good for him", said Captain Ukitake. "We can finally start to fill some of these empty captain's seats."

"At his request, he is to be tested in his bankai skill tomorrow at 1pm at the First Division training ground. I will need two other captains in attendance."

"I've got no plans for tomorrow", said Kyoraku, lazily.

Komamura said, "I would consider it an honor to oversee Hisagi's exam."

"Very well", said the General.

Unohana said, "If you don't mind, Captain Kyoraku, I'd like to participate in the exam. I've become something of a mother-in-law to him lately."

"Of course, milady. You know that your lieutenant is responsible for his progress. The love of a good woman, that's what motivated him. It won't be long until he's wearing a haori and carrying around a diaper bag."

Hmm. The love of a good woman? That's right, there had been that Romance Raffle a while ago. He hadn't paid much attention to it, but that was right about the time that things had started to get easier around the Gotei 13. The general looked around the room: how many of these captains had been part of the Raffle? Or perhaps their lieutenants had found someone, and a change in attitude had improved their work lives? He had learned over the years not to dismiss any insight that Kyoraku had about people.

He made a mental note to ask Sasakibe about the Raffle. Then he tuned back into the conversation. Kyoraku was now explaining that "all women are good, and all men are villains. It's just the nature of things."

And that reminded Yamamoto that a lot of what Kyoraku says is gibberish.

/

General Yamamoto spoke to his lieutenant as they walked back toward their offices.

"Tell me about the Romance Raffle."

"Well, there were two of them, sir. I didn't participate in them because I helped run them."

"Tell me who was paired up with whom."

"Sir, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone."

The General waited.

"The Men's and Women's Associations trusted me to handle it because of my reputation for discretion."

The General still waited.

"And Lieutenant Hisagi wasn't even scheduled for a date, so really I can't say anything for certain, and it would be breaking confidentiality if I said anything at all."

Sasakibe could see that this wasn't going anywhere. He spilled the beans, listing every match he knew about and everything he'd deduced. He still hadn't solved the mystery of Iba's date, though, and he couldn't explain why the captain of the Second Division was occasionally in a good mood.

"Very well", the General replied. "I'd like you to schedule another one, and this time, have Kira and Hinamori get together."

"Sir?"

"Kyoraku was right. Hisagi has had a much better showing than the other two lieutenants after the Aizen affair. Neither one of them has stepped up at all. If loving support will help them get their lives in order, then make sure they have it. Do you know if the two of them get along?"

"Uh, yes sir, the two of them are old friends."

"Very well, then. Make it happen."

"But sir, how can I be sure that they'd end up paired with each other?"

"Fix the drawing. And lieutenant?"

"Sir?"

"Arrange it so that you get yourself a woman too."


	17. Chapter 17

Lieutenant Kira arrived five minutes early at a small park near the Seventh Division headquarters. Lieutenant Sasakibe, who had asked for the meeting, was waiting for him.

"Lieutenant Kira, hello! How are you today?"

"I'm well." Kira wasn't in the mood for small talk. "So tell me, why didn't you want to meet at your office?"

"I'll explain myself in a moment. We're waiting for one more person - ah, there she is." Both men spotted Momo Hinamori approaching. Momo couldn't mask her surprise at seeing Kira waiting alongside the lieutenant of the First Division.

Sasakibe began, "lieutenants, thank you both for showing up. I realize that this is unusual."

Kira said, "It is. Should we even be meeting out of the way like this? It feels conspiratorial."

"Well, this isn't a formal meeting, so I thought it would be fine to have it outdoors. But I did want to approach you with this outside the normal channels. It's not that I'm going to ask you to do anything wrong, exactly. It's…it's just complicated. The General is a great man, and a great leader, but sometimes he forgets the difference between his will and the good of Soul Society. He's asked me to do something that I have an ethical problem with."

"What?" asked Kira.

"You know, I'd rather not say, because I don't think it reflects well on the General. But it's something that would compromise my reputation. No, that's wrong - I'm a lieutenant, and my first obligation is to my captain. My reputation doesn't matter. It would compromise my _standard of honesty_."

Sasakibe was being evasive, and it was only making the other two even more nervous.

"And how do we fit into this?" Kira asked.

"I can avoid the whole situation if the two of you would do me a favor." He quickly looked at his watch. "It's 5:00 right now. I have dinner reservations for two at 6:00 at Kyoto Steak House in First District, North Rukongai. Do you know the place?"

"Yes", said Momo, and Izuru nodded.

"I want the two of you to go in my place, on a date."

"Excuse me?"

"A date."

Momo and Izuru looked at each other, their cheeks turning pink.

"What? I don't understand. What would the General have to do with this?" asked Kira.

Momo offered, "well, if it helps out Chojiro, it's only one date."

"Actually, five dates. I need the two of you to go out tonight, and then follow it up with four more dates. After that, I don't care if the two of you never talk to each other again."

Kira was flustered. "No, it's not that I _mind_…it'd be nice, but I just don't understand."

"This is the only way for me to not defy the General's wishes while still retaining my personal honor. It's the only way. I need to you to take my word for it."

Izuru sighed and looked at Momo, who responded with a shy smile. "Okay", he said at last.

Sasakibe was visibly relieved. "Thank you, both of you. It's a great restaurant, and the dinner is on my tab."

"No, I couldn't…" objected Kira.

"This is a personal favor. Allow me to pay for it."

"Well, ok, thanks."

"OK. Well, I'll leave the two of you…thank you, again. Lieutenants."

With that, Sasakibe walked away.

Momo and Izuru looked at each other awkwardly.

"I don't understand what just happened", Kira said.

"So…are you really ok with this?"

"Yes, of course. I mean, if it's okay with you."

"Well, sure. It's been two months, and I think we're doing great. Don't you?"

"Yes." Kira took her hand. "Really great. It's just…honestly, I'm scared."

There wasn't another person in the world that Kira could admit that to. With Hisagi in a romantic relationship, the late-night discussion group of betrayed lieutenants had dwindled down to two members, and Momo and Izuru had learned to be completely, achingly honest with each other. They'd both been devastated by their former captains' actions and were unsure who to trust, or even how to trust. They shared intense emotions, and as new feelings developed between them, they discovered that they could be happy again – and that only made them feel guilty. It had been a roller-coaster ride of emotions the last few months, but it had bound them together more strongly than they'd ever imagined.

"Well, we did just promise Chojiro."

"I know. It's just, we talked so much about how to go public with this, and now it feels so sudden."

"Well, it _is_ a great restaurant," said Momo, a little playfully, "and now we have a reason to go out: Sasakibe gave us his reservation. If anyone asks, we can just say that it's our first date. It _is_ our first date, actually."

Izuru smiled. It felt good to smile. He squeezed her hand, and said, "well, then, Miss Hinamori, would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

"I would, sir."

He leaned down and kissed her. As they parted, Momo's eyes darted around to see if anyone noticed. She blushed and said, "that's the first time we've ever done that out in the open. I think we're a couple now."

They released each other's hand and walked together toward the North Gate.

As they walked, Kira said, "I can't believe that we both had a secret meeting with Sasakibe and didn't tell each other."

"I know", Momo said. "I think maybe we're still paranoid. We should work on that."


	18. Chapter 18

Sasakibe enjoyed his walk back to his quarters in the First Division. He was proud of himself. He'd improvised that part about five dates, because he could tell that the Hinamori and Kira would need some time to break the ice. The General was right that those two would make a good pair, but they were both too shy to ever take that first step on their own. It showed in their body language. Sasakibe prided himself on his ability to read people.

One task done, one to go. The General had told him to set the two lieutenants up, and to get himself a woman, too. If he could do that, he could avoid the whole fake Raffle entirely. It was funny, as soon as the General had said that, one name popped into Sasakibe's head: Ikuna Shiba. He didn't realize that he still thought about her.

She was a minor noble, a cousin of the Shiba clan. She was blonde – not reddish or light brown hair, but golden, European-blonde hair. She had the most gentle eyes he'd ever seen, and a perfect plum-shaped bottom. She was naturally skilled at kido, but terrible at shunpo. Really, really terrible at it. She had been in her fourth year at the Academy, and was still taking remedial classes in shunpo. Her academic status was in danger. High-level family favors were called in, and Lieutenant Sasakibe found himself tutoring her. It took four months of lessons for her to be able to flash-step one foot. Those should have been frustrating times, but she made them enjoyable.

She was young. Not creepy-young, but too young for him. Not too young for him to notice, though. Maybe if he wasn't her teacher, or if she'd been a little bit older, there could have been something between them…but no, he really just felt like he wasn't good enough for her. He knew she could find someone better. But things hadn't worked out that way.

She disappeared during the break between her fourth and fifth year at the Academy. That meant only one thing - the Kido Corps. The student who was called into the Kido Corps simply ceased to exist, disappearing behind the uniform and the walls of their compound. They even learned how to mask the individuality of their spiritual pressures. That was the way the Kido Corps operated.

He was the one who explained it to her family.

It had been nearly sixty years since he'd seen her, but still, when the General told him to get a girlfriend, his thoughts went straight to her. He knew that Ikuna would still be single, the Kido Corps frowning on marriage. But he couldn't exactly knock on the door of the compound and ask her to lunch.

Sasakibe arrived at the First Division headquarters, and on a whim he went to his office. He sat down, picked up a blank page, and began drafting a letter.

_To: Commander, Kido Corps_

_From: Chojiro Sasakibe, Lieutenant, First Division_

_I would like to arrange a meeting in order to establish closer ties between the Kido Corps and the Gotei 13._ Technically, that was true.

_As you know, the Kido Corps has at various times in the past provided the General's office with a contact person for the purpose of coordination._ Undeniably true. The position of liaison had come and gone over the years, and there was no reason not to reestablish it.

_The ideal candidate would be capable of high-level incantations, be practiced in the etiquette of the nobles, and have some command experience. _He couldn't ask for Ikuna by name, but that description should narrow down the candidate pool to one person. He was guessing about the command – she had such a magnetic personality that it was natural that she would have become a leader.

He shouldn't be writing this. It was an abuse of his authority. But he was still smarting from the General's heavy hand in asking for a fake Raffle. And what if he did send it? It wouldn't ruin her life or anything. It would just be an opportunity for them to meet. If she wanted it to be something more, professionally or personally, they could proceed from there. But if she wasn't interested, he wouldn't be blowing her cover. With the strict security that would no doubt be involved, one meeting wouldn't cost her her anonymity.

_This request is being made on the order of General Yamamoto. _Again, entirely true. The order was for him to find himself a woman, but it was an order. Of course, the Kido Corps wasn't under the command of the General, but the request would carry clout. And as far as pickup lines went, this was about the best one in Soul Society.

_Please contact this office to make arrangements. _He signed his name along the bottom. Then he looked at the document and smiled. Utterly irresponsible. If he actually sent this, he could wind up in prison. He couldn't possibly justify sending it. Even writing this, as a joke, was completely inappropriate. He convinced himself three times that he was going to throw it away.

But on his way out, he dropped the letter in the stack of outbound mail.

/

_Author's Note:_

_Well, that's the end. I never expected it to go over 10000 words. It's been fun. I wish all the couples the best. _

_Thanks for reading._


End file.
